Pictures From The Nile
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: The Pharaohs
THE praises of this river's water have been uttered by many travelers, who say that it is most delicious for drinking. It runs a course of over three thousand miles.
For many years it was very doubtful where the source was, but of recent years there have been many explorers, who tell us that it is near the equator, and that it issues from the great lake Victoria Nyanza and flows through the Albert Nyanza, flowing north until at Khartoum it receives the waters of the Blue Nile; then after flowing in a northerly direction it empties its waters into the Mediterranean Sea. There are several cataracts in its course.
The Blue Nile rises in the mountains of Abyssinia, which are high and often covered with snow; it is the melting of the snow which makes an overflow of water that causes the river to inundate the land in its course to the sea.
There is something wonderful about this river; if you see it in the month of June, the waters increase every day until September, when they go down again. These waters cover nearly all Egypt like a sea. Wherever they go they deposit a rich soil, and when the waters decrease they leave this behind, so that seeds of various kinds, wheat and barley in winter, cotton and sugar in spring, can be sown without any trouble.
But supposing the waters do not rise, what then? Why then there is a famine. Sometimes, but not often, the waters rise so high, when the snow from the mountains has melted, that even villages are washed away. This is referred to by the prophet Amos.
When the Pharaohs ruled over Egypt, after the flood went down the inhabitants really "cast their bread upon the waters," as it is so beautifully expressed in Ecclesiastes 11:1, with its special promise, "thou shalt find it after many days." What we sow we shall reap. When the waters rose too high there must have been some pitiable sights, for the villages might be surrounded by three or four feet of water. The poor people in these times often had to watch their walls of mud falling down, and many were drowned, for the pasha (or ruler) of Egypt cared more for preserving his own corn than he did for saving the people.
Do you wonder, that the Egyptians think so highly of their river, for so much depends upon it!—plenty or famine—according to the rise or fall of the waters. This river has been called "The Gift of the Nile." The people have gone so far as to worship it, which was very sad and wicked, to worship the "Gift" more than God who gave it.
But who were the Pharaohs? They were Syrians who invaded Egypt and set up a throne in the valley of the Nile; the conqueror was a king of Phœnicia. It was under him that Joseph ruled in Egypt and when Jacob dwelt there. This new dynasty regarded with favor the descendants of Abraham because he was a Syrian. And God would not have this forgotten.
Afterward the throne of Memphis was overturned by the kings of Upper Egypt, and the new Pharaoh knew not Joseph. Pharaoh is the general name for kings of Egypt, just as Caesar was for the Roman emperors. The word Pharaoh comes from "Phra," the sun, which the Egyptians worshipped. The new Pharaoh was afraid of the Israelites and wished to destroy them by hard bondage and by putting to death all the boys who were born—many were thrown into the river Nile.
On the banks of the Nile "paper reeds" used to grow, but the papyrus plant, as it was called, does not grow so much there now, and certainly is not much cultivated. Paper was made from it, and thus got its name. The Egyptians wrote upon rolls made of their rush papyrus, probably the coating which surrounded the stalk, though this may be questioned. Some of these rolls were very long, one at least ten yards. They have been found in the tombs of Egypt of different lengths.
Some think that the books of Moses were not written on rush paper, possibly on goatskins, or the very oldest on leather. One was discovered in a chest of a synagogue of some Jews 1806 A.D. It was said to measure sixteen yards in length. Another in the British Museum consists of a large double roll very carefully written on forty thick brown skins in one hundred and fifty three narrow columns; it is written in Hebrew.
On the shores of the Nile in many parts the crocodile is found, a huge monster basking in the sunshine, whom it is said the Egyptians used to worship. It is difficult to understand how such a creature should be counted as a god. According to Herodotus, an ancient historian, crocodiles were held sacred with some of the Egyptians, especially with those near Thebes and the Lake Moeris, who looked upon them as very sacred, and the priests trained crocodiles, which rendered them quite tame.
Into the ears of these crocodiles they put crystal and gold earrings, and adorned their fore-paws with bracelets. They gave them appointed and sacred food, treating them as well as possible while alive, and when dead embalming and burying them in the sacred vaults. Another writer named Strabo, when he visited Egypt four hundred years after Herodotus, tells us of a sacred crocodile living by itself in a lake quite tame to the priests. People fed it with cakes and meat. There is no doubt that the crocodile has been tamed by the ancients.
Plutarch also relates how it could be made obedient to the voice and hand of man, opening its mouth and also allowing its feet to be washed. This is wonderful, but the Bible tells us it is possible for every beast to be tamed, in contrast to the tongue (see James), which no man can tame. Is it not strange that "every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: but the tongue can no man tame; is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.”
We have just mentioned the crocodile, but it says every kind of beasts and of birds, etc. The Arabs are very fond of taming birds, and will often carry pretty green linnets on their fingers; they are so tame that they will not fly away. And if we speak of the Arab horses, at first they are as frisky as the wild ass, kicking and plunging with their riders, but they soon become gentle and obedient, and show much affection for their masters.
There is a story told of a gentleman going to call on a French family in Barbary. Knocking at the door of the room, he heard the familiar words, "Come in." He opened the door, but shut it in a fright. There were two very undesirable inmates inside; no less than two lions enjoying the freedom of the room quite loose. On a lady coming to the door and assuring him that they were quite tame, and asking him to enter, he felt obliged to do so. He entered and sat down; one of the lions made such friendly advances that it coolly came and put its head on his knee. Think of it! a shaggy head upon your knee.
The lady feeling that her guest was uneasy, as well he might be, called the lion away. The other lion was seated near her. These, lions show us a picture of, the beasts being tamed. They were said to be seven years old, and as seven is considered to be a perfect number, it is a good example of complete taming.
In contrast to the lordly lion, would you like just to take a look at a curious animal found in Nubia on the banks of the Nile. It is neither large nor pretty, but it is tamed on account of its usefulness; it is a kind of lizard and is called a chameleon. It is most remarkable for being able to change its color; some times it is of a dull green color, at other times a yellowish green.
When first caught it is very wild, and makes quite a commotion, hissing and struggling like one in a temper, trying to get away; but as discretion becomes the better part of valor, it soon becomes tame, and then its usefulness begins, especially in hot, countries, for when the flies are troublesome the little creature may be held in your hand, when it will dart out its long tongue and catch them in great numbers. It is rather a troublesome creature with its own family, for if several chameleons are shut up together they will bite off one another's legs and tails. Certainly not agreeable companions, and somewhat of a picture of bad temper.
Here is another little anecdote. On one occasion when some soldiers were crossing swamps near the Nile there were crocodiles lying hidden amongst the papyrus. Two men were bitten by them early in the day, and afterward there were six more men who were bitten, and these died from the effects of their wounds. One can imagine what a fright the poor soldiers were in after this, and how they watched the moving of the reeds, but no further catastrophe happened at that time.
Another interesting and exciting time was when an officer, who was reading, suddenly looked up and espied a large snake seemingly about to make for the bed on which he was lying, its body and head being raised. His attention was drawn to it through the look of horror of a servant who had just entered the room. The officer retreated over the back of the bed, and the snake paid for its temerity with its life by being shot.
Along this part of the Nile, near a place called Kidopo, there are elephants and hippopotami. The natives make traps for them. They make a deep hole in the ground and cover it with sticks and sand, so that the animals may be trapped into them. One morning an officer, who was feeling very unwell, was riding on a donkey, one of those somewhat uncertain animals, when he collapsed into one of these muddy holes. He was released by some soldiers from his unwelcome position. And here another chapter will not be out of place.
Chapter 2: Egypt and Its River
FROM the unwelcome position of the officer in our last chapter, let us proceed a little further, from Kidopo to a spot, where one can get a beautiful view of some waterfalls, falling one hundred feet into a whirlpool below; the water a little way off is quite calm. At certain seasons the water subsides and may be crossed on foot. Egypt gets some of her supply of water for the summer from this part. The Nile formerly had seven branches running into the Mediterranean Sea; now it has only two, the Rosetta and Damietta branches. The country between these two branches is called the Delta.
The waters of this remarkable river may give us the history of the greatness of the Pharaohs of Egypt. In a parable Pharaoh is referred to under the figure of a tree. The prophet Ezekiel writes: "The deep set him up on high with her rivers running round about his plants, and sent out her little rivers unto all the trees of the field. Therefore his height was exalted above all the trees of the field, and his boughs were multiplied, and his branches became long because of the multitude of waters, when he shot forth." "Thus was he fair in his greatness, in the length of his branches for his root was by great waters.”
It has been said that the Nile was everything to the Egyptian. Should the waters cease to overflow for even one week, his gardens and his fields would become a desert. His fields were fertilized by it, making his harvests good and carrying off their produce to other countries. He drank the water, went fishing in it, and traveled on it. Once he worshipped it, now he utilizes it.
The name of the Nile does not occur in scripture, but is called "The river of Egypt" many times, and there is much concerning the history of God's people connected with it. There are also many remnants of the skill and power of the early days when Abram visited the shores of the Nile. It was the Blue Nile near which Abram stood—this wonderful river Nile, and yet in one way it is only an accumulation of raindrops, like every other river, but look at its associations!
The history of man also records many scenes witnessed on the borders of the Nile: ravage and pillage by Cambyses, the luxury and ease of the queen Cleopatra, the unsuccessful expedition of the great Napoleon, the massacre of the Mamelukes. This reduced Egypt from the height of power and greatness to make it the basest of kingdoms, as foretold by divine prophecy.
The prophet Ezekiel had foretold, "I will make the land waste." Zechariah also, and about sixty-four years afterward Cambyses, the son of Cyrus, entered Egypt and there was ravage and pillage. It is said that the army of Cambyses, three hundred thousand men, perished through the effects of a whirlwind in the desert of Sahara. The sand rises up like an enormous pillar, going along at a fearful rate, winding round and round. When the pillars fall, they cover anything and everything in their way. Job knew about such winds and had experienced something of this sort, for he says, "Thou liftest me up to the wind; thou causest me to ride upon it, and dissolvest my substance." How wonderful! how pointed! how graphic! what a picture!
Another time, a second army of Cambyses destroyed the temples about five hundred years before Christ. It is told that once Cambyses protected his army and took a seaport town at the mouth of the Nile by putting a number of cats and dogs and other animals in the front of his army, and as the Egyptians worshipped these animals, they would not shoot an arrow lest by mistake they should kill one of their sacred animals. Imagine having any faith in such a god. If they could not protect themselves, how could they protect any one?
Look on now over two thousand years, and we hear of a wonderful man whose name was Napoleon. He was a great general, and was sent by the French into Egypt to conquer the country. He was able to subdue the country, but nearly all his fleet that had brought out his army was destroyed at the Battle of the Nile by the great English commander, Admiral Nelson.
So Napoleon's army, or what remained of it, had to cross the desert into Palestine, and what befell them on the way home you must look up elsewhere, for Acre is not Egypt.
In contrast to the trials of these poor soldiers in the desert, we may hear of an extraordinary and remarkable queen, but not one to be admired, for her wickedness was great. There is one picture of her on the waters of the Nile reclining in ease and splendor, and having every indulgence in probably such a barge as is given by the following description.
Think of a gilded barge where forty and four rowers are slowly dipping their oars into the quiet waters. The head is shaded from the sun by a silken awning stretched across the top of the galley, under which the occupants recline deliciously on the softest of cushions. Ease and luxury predominate.
The extravagance of this queen, Cleopatra, was also shown on one occasion at a feast by her putting some beautiful pearl or pearls into a goblet and drinking it off at one draft to show her great riches.
I should like now to give you the experience of an old but more modern traveler. He says, "After passing through a canal which went from Alexandria to Atfeh we reached the river and got into a steamer. This canal was separated from the river Nile by locks.
“When the river is low, too low for the boats to navigate, several horses are employed to drag the boat, and if they cannot manage it, men have to do it. They jump into the river and move the boat to and fro, and thus get it along." In this case when they reached the steamer the waters were not high enough, so they had to pass an extra night on board. But about six o'clock next morning there was a glorious sun-rising, which soon raised the thermometer from 38 degrees below freezing point, to which it had fallen, to six degrees above it. If you had been there, you would have seen that the Arabs who were on board were praying and washing, as the Koran tells them. This is a book given by their prophet Mahomet, which they use much, instead of the Bible, sad to say. It tells them always to wash three times a day, at sunrise, at midday and at sunset, and five times if possible; they must wash in running water before they pray.
It was somewhere near here, at Atfeh and near Alexandria, that Abram, the father of the faithful, sought refuge from the famine of Canaan. He would probably enter the "lower region" of Egypt by the Isthmus of Suez, where the canal has since been made. But to continue the journey of our traveler at the point where this particular canal (for there are many) reaches the Nile: it is about six hundred yards wide, and the waters are not very low.
Along the banks of the Nile there were many palaces and villas where the Turkish beys and English merchants could reside. There were also sycamore trees, and, as you know, Zacchæus once climbed a similar tree in Canaan to see Jesus; there are plenty of leaves on this tree to shelter any one in hiding.
Sometimes there was a glimpse of the desert, the sand blowing about in clouds and hiding much of the view. There were also some birds. Do you know the pelican? It is a large, swimming bird, and has a pouch which can hold two gallons of water, so you may imagine it can hold many fish. There were cormorants, eagles and numerous wild ducks and geese. Our old friend Heroditus makes special mention of the Egyptian goose; it was held sacred by the Egyptians, and was a favorite dish with the priests.
During the journey some one shot an eagle and it measured seven feet from the tip of one wing to the other. The parent birds teach their offspring how to fly. They begin their flight in the eye of the sun; at first they make small circles, and the young birds imitate them; afterward they make another, and so on in larger circles, always rising towards the sun, till they are lost to sight. What an object-lesson for a Christian, always rising up towards the sun until lost to sight. Malachi speaks of the "Sun of righteousness" arising with healing in His wings.
Referring again to Abram, he first probably reached Zoan, on the eastern bank of the second river of the delta as coming from Canaan. It may have been here that the Pharaoh of Egypt then lived, or it may have been at Memphis, when his palace was at Memphis or Noph. The princes of Zoan and of Noph are referred to in Isa. 19:13. The latter place, Noph, was situated at the apex of the delta of the Nile, and was the ancient capital of Lower Egypt. Pharaoh and his princes appear to have treated their guest with much respect. (Gen. 12:20.)
But now shall we consider what Abram's journey was like from a description of a similar journey near the Euphrates In front the lord of the party is seated on a milk-white ass. His erect carriage and the dignity of his mien show one accustomed to command. His clothing is a long white robe, with a rich jewel in the front of his beautiful turban. Many of his companions also have white robes without the jewel which distinguishes the former. The party appears like a huge moving mass along the road, it is evidently the procession of some wealthy prince journeying with his large family and servants.
There are also many flocks and herds, and many camels with their curious humps, loaded with all the requisites of furnishing, the baggage hanging down on each side and rising some height. Nevertheless, there are men and women seated on the top and even some children. They show no fear, however, and are quite indifferent to the apparent danger. They are no doubt the slaves and inferior servants. Then there are many baggage camels which follow one behind the other.
A man on a donkey generally heads this sort of caravan, as such a procession is called. He has a rope, which is fastened round the first camel's neck; the other camels are tied to each other, the tail of one to the nose of the next, so they are bound to follow on. Sometimes there may be hundreds of camels tied to each other in this way.
Besides these baggage camels, there are many dromedaries with saddles and bridles for the different officers and superintendents of the lower servants to ride upon, each having his own camel and not being in one long string.
Dromedaries resemble camels, except that they only have one hump, but are of a lighter form and better breed, just as a carriage-horse is different from a cart-horse. An experienced servant takes the lead. Often there are asses, which carry a few of the confidential servants just behind the emir or chief, herds of oxen and kine and flocks of sheep and goats, which are very useful in providing meat and milk, for the latter can be made into butter and cheese. Naturally all these servants and animals impede the progress, so the journey goes on slowly.
There are many shepherds, who care well for the sheep and have either a rod or a staff, or perhaps a crook to assist them, and they have also dogs. Some of the young shepherds carry the young ones that are weak, sometimes in their arms, or maybe in the folds of their dress. We cannot say that this was actually Abram's caravan, but we may say this is a sample of one of his day. God had called Abram out of Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan, and God promised to give him the land.
We learn from the Bible, in Gen. 12:10, that there was a famine in the land of Canaan, and that was the reason why Abram went down into Egypt; he took his wife Sarai with him. Now we read that Sarai was a beautiful woman, and Abram was afraid that Pharaoh the king would want to see her and make her his wife; so he called her his sister; the princes praised her beauty, and she was taken into Pharaoh's house. But God would not allow him to have her, as she was already Abram's wife, and He sent plagues on the king and on his household. Pharaoh reproved Abram because he had said Sarai was his sister, though it is true she was his half-sister, and he sent him and his wife away and all that he had.
This of course was a land journey, and here the camels were most necessary. They are called the "Ships of the Desert." When Abram went into Egypt because of the famine in Canaan, Egypt had become a great country with its princes and riches.
Two hundred and fifteen years later Abram's grandson Jacob visited Egypt, drawn thither by his son Joseph.
Chapter 3: Joseph in Egypt
OUR last chapter left Joseph in Egypt, so that it is quite reasonable to begin this chapter with the important question, How did Joseph get there?
“Jacob dwelt in the land wherein his father was a stranger, in the land of Canaan." Every one is familiar with the history of Joseph. How his father loved him better than any of his other sons and made them all jealous, so "they hated him," and when he dreamed his wonderful dreams they envied him.
One day when sent to look for them they sold him to some Midianites, who were merchants, for twenty pieces of silver, and thus he was taken to Egypt. The name of the king of Egypt was Osirtasen I., it is supposed. Joseph was bought by Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh's. The Lord was with him and prospered him in everything. This happened about 1706 B.C. Joseph offended Potiphar, and became a prisoner. Whilst he was there he enjoyed the full confidence of the keeper of the prison, because "The Lord was with him, and that which he did, the Lord made it to prosper.”
The story of Pharaoh's butler and baker is well known: their life in prison, their dreams, and Joseph's interpretation, which was the means God used later of bringing him under Pharaoh's notice.
It is well to see the place the river has in Pharaoh's dreams. "Behold, I stood upon the bank of the river. And, behold, there came up out of the river seven kine, fat-fleshed and well favored; and they fed in a meadow." Then the seven ill favored and lean-fleshed came up, and stood by the other kine on the brink of the river. And the ill favored and lean-fleshed kine did eat up the seven well favored and fat kine. And so Pharaoh awoke. The second dream dealt with seven full ears and seven thin ears of corn in a similar manner.
No wonder Pharaoh was troubled, and sent for all the magicians and wise men, but there was none that could interpret these things. Then the chief butler remembered Joseph, and told Pharaoh how he interpreted his dream, and that of the chief baker, and how they came to pass. Joseph's history is told us in Psa. 105:16. It tells us that the Lord called for a famine, that the whole staff of bread was broken, that Joseph was sent before them, who was sold for a servant; his feet were hurt with fetters, laid in iron: "The word of the Lord tried him.”
Then Joseph was sent for, and was brought hastily out of the dungeon, and shaved himself and changed his raiment. Then Pharaoh speaks to him and Joseph answers humbly, "It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace.”
Pharaoh then relates his dream; and Joseph answers, "God hath showed Pharaoh what he is about to do." Joseph tells him that there would be seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt; and after them seven years of famine, and that all the plenty would be forgotten, the famine would be so sore.
Then Joseph advised Pharaoh to choose a man discreet and wise and to set him over the land of Egypt. He advised that food should be gathered and stored and laid up during the good years, and the food kept in the cities. Then Pharaoh said, "Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is?" Then Pharaoh made Joseph ruler over the people and over the land, and next to himself. Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it on Joseph's hand. This gave him power to seal any proclamation or document in the name of the king.
Sixty years ago it was still the custom in agreeing with the dragoman about camels for a journey to cross the desert, when just upon settled, for the sheik to advance to the table, take of his ring and give it to the clerk, who dipped the ring into ink and sealed the contract with it. Sometimes the ring is engraved with the name of the wearer.
The king arrayed Joseph in garments of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck and "made him to ride in the second chariot," and people cried, "Bow the knee," and he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt. "And Joseph gathered corn as the sand of the sea," until it was without number.
When the seven years of plenty were ended, the seven years of dearth began to come, "And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy corn; because that the famine was so sore in all lands.... And Joseph's ten brethren went down to buy corn in Egypt. But Benjamin...Jacob sent not...for he said, Lest peradventure mischief befall him.”
Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them. "But they knew not him." He said unto them, "Ye are spies." He tests them, too, in sending for Benjamin and keeping Simeon in prison, and thus exercises their consciences. At last the famine compels them to go again, and once more they stand before Joseph, with Benjamin. Then Joseph provides a feast and they were merry with him. Joseph thinks of another test, ordering his silver cup to be, put in Benjamin's sack. Judah pleads for him that he may be released on their father's account.
Then Joseph sends all his servants away and tells them he is Joseph. He says, Come near to me, "and he said," I am Joseph." He tells them how God overruled it for good, and he sends for Jacob. He gives them all changes of raiment, to Benjamin five, and three hundred pieces of silver. And Joseph sent ten asses with corn and bread and meat for his father. "And they... came into the land of Canaan unto Jacob their father, and told him saying, Joseph is yet alive, and he is governor over all the land of Egypt.”
At first Jacob did not believe, but when he heard the words of Joseph, and saw the wagons, the spirit of Jacob revived. "And Israel said, It is enough; Joseph my son is yet alive: I will go and see him before I die." And Israel took his journey to Beersheba and offered sacrifices unto God, and God speaks to him, and promises to go with him. There were altogether seventy persons.
In Jacob's journey into Egypt, we must notice not only the asses but the wagons which Joseph sent to carry Jacob, and the little ones, and the wives. The little ones were provided for as well as the older people. Besides, the wagons were needed for some of their goods; there were also cattle, for they brought their flocks and herds; you see, it was not only for a short visit, but to remain there.
So they came into the land of Goshen and Joseph went to meet them in his chariot, formerly a slave, now a great man and a ruler.
Thus Jacob came into Egypt, and sent Judah to Joseph to direct him to Goshen; and Joseph made ready his chariot and went up to meet Israel his father, to Goshen, and presented himself, and fell on his neck and wept a good while. And Israel said unto Joseph, "Now let me die, since I have seen thy face.”
Then Joseph went to Pharaoh and introduced five of his brethren, and asked for them to dwell in the land of Goshen. Pharaoh says, "In the land of Goshen let them dwell." Then Jacob is presented, and Pharaoh asks him how old he is. He tells him one hundred and thirty years. Then Jacob blessed Pharaoh and went out of his presence. Then Joseph gave to his father and to his brethren a possession in the land of Egypt, in the land of Rameses, and Joseph cared for them.
Whilst living there they had possessions and grew and multiplied exceedingly, and Jacob lived there seventeen years.
Now what is the land of Goshen like? One who has seen it, and whose word can be relied on, says it was quite as level as a railway, and that the plain of the land of Goshen extended partly over the land of the Nile on the west, and the Arabian desert towards the Red Sea on the east.
It says in the scriptures that Joseph placed his brethren in, the land of Rameses, and so this was the situation. It remains still the best of the land, though not so well cultivated. The children of Israel must have been near some water, in order to produce figs, grapes, and olives; the water must have come from the river. No doubt they lived a good deal upon the fish which is found there, and from the fruit, which are both abundant. It was truly the best of the land, the heart and beauty of Egypt.
After seventeen years Jacob died, and Joseph, who may be called the Prime Minister, made a truly royal funeral for his father. It was greater than that of Osirtasen the First. It was Jacob's expressed desire to Joseph that he should not be buried in Egypt. Joseph carried out this wish. After Jacob's death, how touching it is to read that Joseph fell upon his father's face, and wept upon him, and kissed him.
The physicians were then commanded to embalm him, which took forty days, and the Egyptians mourned for him seventy days. Joseph appeals to Pharaoh for leave to go and bury his father, and Pharaoh says, "Go up, and bury thy father, according as he made thee swear." Oh, what a sight! the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his house, and all the elders of the land of Egypt. Then all the house of Joseph, and his brethren, and his father's house, and there went up with him chariots and horsemen, a very great company.
Beyond Jordan they mourned with a great and very sore lamentation; the mourning lasted seven days. The Canaanites were surprised when they saw the mourning in the floor of Atad, and they said, "This is a grievous mourning to the Egyptians," and they called it Abelmizraim; it was beyond Jordan. Then could be seen the reverence of the sons carrying their father, and burying him in the cave of Machpelah, which was bought by Abraham with the field as a burying-place from Ephron the Hittite, before Mamre.
Chapter 4: Concerning the Pyramids
AFTER Jacob's funeral was over Joseph returned into Egypt. Fear then took possession of his brethren. They did not know the heart of Joseph. They knew how they had behaved unto Joseph, and now that their father was dead feared what Joseph would do, and admitted that they were his servants. But Joseph says, "Fear not," and he comforted them. After this Joseph, who had lived one hundred and ten years, said, "I die." He made them swear to carry up his bones, and he was embalmed to preserve the body.
The ancient Egyptians always embalmed their dead. It was done in order to keep the bodies from decaying, so that the flesh remained perfect on the bones. They are then called mummies. There are some in the British Museum. The Egyptians, too, often embalmed the bodies of birds, cats, snakes and crocodiles in the same way as human bodies, at least the birds and cats were sealed up in earthenware jars. In this way their sacred bulls were preserved and then placed in sarcophagi, hugh marble coffins, and in tombs. They are from ten to twelve feet long, by six feet wide, and six feet deep, and are of hard granite, beautifully polished. Some of them were covered with hieroglyphics, that is, picture-writing.
The Egyptians took great pains to preserve their bodies, because they thought the spirit wandered, never resting, waiting for the return of the original body. They had no written revelation to which to refer, and after the death of the patriarchs turned mostly to tradition. In Egypt funerals are attended, except the very poorest, by wailing women. Some women actually make a living out of it.
In Jer. 9 they are mentioned as cunning women in connection with wailing. Sometimes when a person died the relations and friends send bread to the house of mourning, and this is what Ezekiel calls the bread of men. (Eze. 24:22.)
Let us now consider the Pharaoh (about 1571 B.C.) “who knew not Joseph.” He made a cruel edict to put to death all the male children, and no doubt numbers of the children of Israel perished, but one we now escaped. His parents were of the tribe of Levi, and they could not sacrifice their beautiful boy at the king's command. The mother trusted God, and we learn from Heb. 11 that “by faith” this beautiful boy, Moses, was hidden three months, and that neither the mother nor the father was afraid of the king's commandment.
There was no mixture of fear with faith. How often Christians are afraid when they wish to do a right thing, and hindered by it.
The mother then did the thing which first occurred to her. She did not look for a miracle, but was no doubt guided by God, for she took that which was at hand and provided. She took for him an ark, or a basket, of bulrushes, daubed it with slime and pitch, and put the child in it, and laid it in the flags or papyrus reeds by the river's brink.
This story is so simple and so well known, but there may be some things to note.
It is interesting to know that Moses lived in the reigns of five kings, and that he was rescued by the humane princess, the daughter of Pharaoh, probably from the dreadful crocodiles. So he became known as the son of the princess.
But was he an Egyptian in heart?
Ah! no. We are told that going out one day unto his brethren, he saw an Egyptian smiting one of them. Looking all around and seeing no man, he slew the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. The next day he saw two of the Hebrews striving together. He tried to make peace, but they misunderstood him. No doubt his mother had talked to him, and trained him for God, and had spoken to him of his brethren. His zeal was perhaps rash, and Pharaoh heard of it and was angry, and Moses had to flee from Egypt.
But before continuing his history, shall we consider the birthplace of Moses, as some suppose? The traveler, whom we have before mentioned, tells us that, leaving Cairo, he and his friend took a turn to the bank of the Nile and found there a ferry-boat, which a ferryman, paddled across to the Island of Rôda. Many say it was here that the princess found Moses; certainly a lovely spot, gardens and fruit trees, bananas, oranges and dates in profusion, and liberty to pick them.
On the west were flowing the broad waters of the Nile, with boats on its surface; there were also the pyramids, and the desert; to the south the upper valley of the Nile. Altogether it was a picturesque scene and brought a dreamy sensation of happiness.
But we must remember that Rôda is the island noted for the Nilometer, that is, a deep, square well with a gauge cut in the side by which the people can tell how high the water is when the Nile is rising. This was in 1856. In 1897 we read of a column, eight-sided, built into the center of this well, which communicates with the Nile. Originally it was covered by a dome supported by columns, but being destroyed by Napoleon, it was replaced by a wooden one with wooden columns. The height of the water is measured in June, and by the height of the waters it can be told whether the lower lands are covered, then the higher lands, and when a little higher the whole country is watered and there cannot, humanly speaking, be any famine. The taxes are arranged according to the rise of the waters.
With reference to the pyramids, the distance from Cairo is about eight miles. Our travelers hired donkeys and took a boat, the donkeys being lifted in, and reached the Libyan side of the river. Near here there is a large egg-hatching establishment, in which a great number of chickens were hatched by artificial means. This system was carried on in many places. Here the Nile is about three-quarters of a mile broad.
Again we mounted our donkeys, the pyramids being six miles further on. We passed several groups, that went by the name of villages, which looked like hovels, only enlivened by palms and other trees. Here there was a piece of water like a small lake. Whilst wondering what to do to get across, the donkeys took the reins into their own control and settled it by walking through the water, whilst some of the Arabs carried us over on their shoulders.
After an hour more we were standing at the base of the pyramids, and I at least was dumb with wonder and surprise. Such a colossal work! How could it have been done by man? and that about four thousand years ago!
The first one, the Pyramid of Cheops, was the largest, and covered an area of thirteen acres. Some of the stones were thirty-nine feet by fifteen feet by four and a half feet. These figures will give some idea of the structure if a drawing of a pyramid be consulted.
In a book written by a well-known writer, he says that the first sight of the pyramids did not impress him so much, the sameness of their appearance was deceptive and there was nothing to show their relative height.
It is possible to ride round the pyramids on the back of a camel, but it is a very trying performance. The camel goes down on its knees, then tucks his hind legs under him, and you get astride; but when it gets up if you are not careful you may fall over its head as the camel rises on its hind legs, or you may be pitched over its tail s the animal rises to its forefeet. So camel riding is not a delightful occupation; you must be careful not to slip off, and not to knock your head on the camel's head as he sways and bobs about. It also tries the muscles of the back, and some people feel giddy and sick; still, one is glad not to have to walk in the hot sun.
And now let us suppose that we have reached the pyramids and are resting under their shadow. There are three really great pyramids, the largest is called the Pyramid of Cheops, which is supposed to have been built by a king of that name before Abraham came down to Egypt, so he may have seen it. I mentioned the size of the stones earlier, so now only notice that the pyramid becomes smaller and smaller as you reach the top, until it becomes nearly a point. One cannot enter into all the details of this great structure, let it suffice for us to know that it took thousands of men ten years to form the roads for conveying the stones and twenty more years to build it. Herodotus tells us the value of two hundred thousand pounds was paid for garlic, radishes and onions alone as food for the workers, so what must the whole of the provisions have cost The second pyramid, the Pyramid of Rhafra, is almost as large as the first; but the third, the Pyramid of Menkaura, is only about half the size of the second. These most wonderful and colossal works really require a history to themselves.
The pyramids are full of stuffy, dusty and dark passages, built in the rough rock, and the bats scream overhead. The curious may ask, What about the inside? It sometimes happens that when people go to visit them, having torches, the bats arise en masse, making such a strong current of air as they fly, that the torches are extinguished, thus leaving the visitors in darkness. When this happens it makes rather an unpleasant ending to the visit.
Cpatper 5: The Pyramids Again and the Sphinx
BUT now a few words about the Great Sphinx. It must not entirely be left out, and in this chapter it must have some little notice. It stands at Gizeh, south-east of the Pyramid of Rhafra. Can you imagine a depth of sixty feet cut out of rock; it has the body of a lion, the head of a man, the body encased in stone, and the paws of small masonry. The Sphinx and the Pyramids, massive works as they are of man, are not mentioned in the Bible.
In contrast to these wonderful buildings there is now another great wonder, and that is a canal made through a narrow piece of land which lay between the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. This little bit of land hindered ships passing through, so that they had to make a long detour round Africa to get to India.
At last a clever Frenchman, named De Lesseps, discovered a way of making a canal, and in this way India is now more easily reached. It is to European engineers that the land of the Pharaohs is indebted for these benefits.
Not far from the Pyramids there is a most wonderful museum. It was at Gizeh, but may now have been moved to Cairo. How would you like to visit the hall of the royal mummies? On the ground floor there are numerous beautiful statues, which I cannot now name or describe. Then on the first floor there is a miscellaneous collection of the gods of Egypt, and even garlands of flowers from mummies. Do you know what mummies are? When a person died the body was embalmed. You will remember that Joseph commanded his servants, the physicians, to embalm his father after his death, which they did. They employed various methods which prevented the body from decaying, so that it would remain for as many as two or three thousand years. You may be surprised to read that there are even mummies of cats, because the Egyptians considered them to be sacred. What a dreadful idea!
Now let us leave these extraordinary sights and return down the River Nile to Cairo. We must choose a boat. The Nile boats are flat-bottomed; there are two cabins with divans on each side for use during the day and also at night. The kitchen, if one may so call it, consists of little fireplaces for charcoal and a small oven—rather primitive, is it not? The pilot's place is on the top of the cabin at the helm, the captain's at the bows to look out for sandbanks.
This particular boat had been well cleaned, but sometimes cockroaches are a great trouble throughout. The view from the boat was grand—gardens, minarets and pyramids all on the west side of the river. The north wind prevails more or less for about nine months of the year, and is very changeable, dropping and rising suddenly, so that boats are often upset, even before there is time to alter or loosen the sail.
Perhaps you may have heard of the fierce wind called the simoon; it is hot and suffocating, and rushes furiously over the desert, sweeping all before it. The wind howls and the sand envelops everything and penetrates everywhere. The camels put their heads to the ground.
On one day there was a stormy south-east wind. We were certainly rather in a fix, having no dinner. One of us went out to try and get hold of a pigeon, as there was a flight of them passing, but the heat was so terrific he had to turn back. The dragoman managed to get one shot later, but sent another man for the pigeon. This storm is called a khamsin, and lasted fifty days. Khamsin means "fifty." This wind is referred to in Gen. 41:6, "Seven thin ears and blasted with the east wind.”
In the evening when there is no wind, the boat is fastened by stakes driven into the ground. When all is safe a fire is lighted and the Arab men keep up wild singing and tale-telling till a late hour, making sleep almost impossible. When there is no wind the men have to track the boat, as canal boats are sometimes done, and it is very slow work—twelve, but sometimes only six miles can be accomplished in a day. Should the rope be too short to reach the bank of the river the men must wade into the water in order to pull the boat along, but they sing all the same, and do not lose their good humor. Sometimes the boat runs aground, then the men have to throw themselves into the water and push it off.
Fancy being able to get bread a penny a pound, sold by weight, by stones, as mentioned in Deuteronomy, “Thou shalt not have in thy bag divers weights, a great and a small " (margin,"a stone and a stone"), also in Prov. 20:10.
There were many women who came to the river to fetch water; they were wearing various ornaments. It is not considered right for a woman to go alone, but she should be accompanied by others.
It is really wonderful how the women carry their waterpots on their heads when full, even up the banks. A traveler we read of found it as much as he could do even with the aid of a stick, but it seems natural to them, and their walk is very graceful. But the water here is also of great use.
In some, parts there are engine houses for engines to pump the water from the river to irrigate sugar plantations. But when there are no engines, then two men work at it, or sometimes four. The man at the bottom gets water into a kind of bucket, then he passes it on to the man higher up, and he on to the two others, if there are any, 'something like firemen do when there is a fire, having a number of buckets and passing them on from one to another.
When a fire occurs the chain of buckets is generally on the flat, but in the other case the water is carried up the hill, the different buckets being emptied and the water flowing into channels made for it. This is called watering by the shadoof. It is hard work, as you may judge; there is also another method called watering by the feet. When the men are working they wear very little clothing. There is still another mode of watering, when bullocks work up the water by turning a Persian water-wheel called a shakeyiah. In each case the water runs down sluices or artificial channels.
In some parts of the river there are large stones, in other parts only sand. On the sand-banks may be seen hundreds of pelicans, whilst ducks and geese fly overhead. Some cottages are of straw, plastered with mud.
A trip up the Nile improves the health wonderfully, and for a short time, perhaps a month or two, is very delightful, but after a while the sameness becomes wearisome, for there is no variation, or very little. But at some places, such as Minieh, there is a very great cheer, for here letters can be posted.
The post is put into bags, which are carried by men called runners. One man runs from his own village to the next, then the bag is transferred to others, who run in like manner, as is described in Jer. 51:31. Some men can run eight or ten miles an hour. Job uses this simile and says, "My days are swifter than a post." (Job 9:25.) Sometimes swift dromedaries are used, as in Esther, or even light camels. No dromedary can go more than ten or twelve miles an hour; but as some can keep this up, night and day, without stopping, for several days, which no horse in the world can do, they may well be called "swift dromedaries." (Jer. 2:23; Esther 8:10.)
At this same place, Minieh, many crocodiles were seen. One had been caught by some boatmen putting a noose round its jaws when it was asleep, and dragging it into their boat. Many think that the leviathan mentioned in the scripture is the same as the crocodile. Job refers to the people worshipping it, as the Egyptians did (Job 41:25), and in Job 41:1-9 describes him. But we have already had some stories of the crocodile, so will not add much more about him.
On one occasion a woman had been to fetch water when a crocodile had "taken her in," as the people said. Another time an old woman was dragged into the water by a crocodile. The grandson, however, managed to kill the beast and afterward sold it for six shillings to an Englishman. What a happy thing for us there are no crocodiles in England.
Another very objectionable reptile is the serpent. In Egypt men play with them and make them do all kinds of tricks, for there are no doubt many in that land who have the power of charming them. In one case a serpent charmer, through the use of music, enticed some serpents out of their hiding-places. Sometimes serpents are deaf to the voice and music of the charmers and fasten upon them and cause their death. (Psa. 63:4-6.) The cockatrice is a most venomous serpent; it is very difficult to tame, and is mentioned by Jeremiah as a picture of the Assyrians under Nebuchadnezzar, who cannot be influenced for mercy or have their iron hearts softened. But, oh! how beautiful and blessed in the Lord's kingdom: when lie reigns the "child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den." (Isa. 11:8.)
There are fiery serpents referred to in Numbers, which are natives of Egypt and the desert. Their bite occasions a burning sensation, and death generally follows. Some are called flying, because they can go up trees, and can spring from one to another. They are spoken of in Isa. 30:6.
We read also of the Lord sending fiery serpents, and that they bit the people, and that much people of Israel died. The reason given is because they spoke against God and against Moses, complaining that there was no bread and no water. This was the lie of the serpent Satan; as in the garden of Eden, so now in the wilderness, he leads the people to dishonor God and to destroy their faith in God. No doubt you know how God provided a remedy in making a serpent of brass, so that every one that looked lived.
This was a wonderful object-lesson to the children of Israel, and we have it referred to in John 3 "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life." (John 3:14, 15.) Have you, may I ask, believed in the One who was lifted up as the Son of man, and by looking at Him received salvation?
In some countries there are men who profess to charm many different kinds of animals, and it has been said that playing on a flute will heal the bite of a serpent; but it would be a foolish person who would trust to this cure. One day on our travels a hawk was shot; the dragoman, that is, the guide, ran to pick it up, when it thrust its talons into his fingers and he screamed dreadfully. It was some time before he could get free. We were now on the twelfth day of our journey from Cairo.
But let us now continue the journey. We must not fail to notice the behavior of the Arabs here, they are always so good-natured and obliging. A gentleman climbing up the bank of the river stopped and had to hold on by a tree. In a moment six of the Arabs who were working in the fields ran to his help. Are we always so ready to go to any one's assistance?
On another day, entering the yard of a farmhouse without leave, the master and his wife both withdrew at first, in order to show their disapproval, but afterward we found that the woman was churning cream. Shall we make a mental picture of it? There was a peg driven into the mud wall, a goatskin sewn up half full of milk or cream hanging from it, and the woman was swaying it backwards and forwards, jerking and bumping it against the wall. In warm countries the butter soon comes.
The yard was full of all sorts of refuse and dirt, so no wonder that swarms of flies abounded. They were so extremely troublesome that we were obliged to envelop our heads in a kind of bag made of fine netting, which must have had a most remarkable appearance. But the dragon-fly is the most tormenting of all, alighting, as it does, on the legs and stinging right through the stockings.
Chapter 6: The Cataracts
PURSUING our journey, we came to a town called Keneh. Here there were potteries. There is also a temple, called the temple of Dendera, full of secret chambers and dark alleys, and candles are required to give a light. Hundreds of bats are found there. No one knows what has taken place in these dark abodes, but several of the prophets refer to them. But from the dreary inside of the temple may be found specimens of the wonderful palm tree, which is useful. In Psa. 92:12 it says, “The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree." Is it not a lovely figure?
The branches do not look downward, but look upward to heaven, and nothing can make them grow downward. If you are a Christian is it not a wonderful object lesson?
Nearly every part of this tree is useful: the fruit, that is, dates, is good for food; the poorer people of Egypt, in Arabia and Persia, almost live on it. Of the leaves baskets, mats, couches, brushes and beds are made, while the branches can be used for many other purposes, such as making walking-sticks, fences, handles, etc. The stem, which is very straight, grows to a great height, from sixty to a hundred feet. Job describes it as stately.
On the seventeenth day Thebes was reached. It was a fair trip of about twenty miles a day coming from Cairo. We must now pass on to Esne, which is a little further on. Then three days later you come to Assouan. Near here is the first cataract. Various opinions are given of these cataracts, but I give a statement from an old traveler. He says, "Think of great rocks of granite, then a sudden fall of the river, which is about three-quarters of a mile broad. The waters rush and dash against the rocks or stone islands, other currents come against them, and the waters roll on in greater fury.”
The men carry ropes in their mouths and fasten them to the rocks. Then they sing "God help us." Twenty men then pull at the ropes and six men on board keep the boat from knocking against the rocks. Thus we traversed the first fall. Now there is another fall, a similar scene, only there are more men. The reflection from the sun's rays on the rooks at this point made it almost intolerable. Had the ropes broken we should have had to swim for life. The men continued singing as they went.
Looking from the deck ahead of me, I saw a fall of water about three feet high rushing and roaring between two rocks like a cannon.
What a situation! We were spellbound, for indeed it was no light matter to think of mounting that three feet of rocks with the rush of water against us. However, the boat had to reach the top. First the bows descended into the fall, whilst the waters rushed down, seeming to bid defiance to all that opposed. No wonder seventy men were needed at this work, and at last, oh, joyful thought! the head of the boat appeared at the top of the fall, and in a, few minutes more success crowned the day.
Whilst the men were resting they showed us some of their feats in the water. Some of them took little children only just able to go alone, threw them into the water and left them to swim to shore. No wonder they learn to swim well.
But let me give you a description of a day in Nubia, as far as is possible, for the loveliness of the scene defies description. Think of a day towards the end of June; a cloudless sky, an horizon without mist, no sound but of the rolling quiet waters, the undisturbed happiness of the birds, the rustling of waving corn, a gentle breeze cooling the heat of the sun, and in the distance a desert and towering palm trees. This will give you some little idea of this beautiful scene.
In the distance are men and women washing, clothes or water-pots; children, as usual, playing; animals, such as bullocks, buffaloes, sheep and goats, grazing; nor must we leave out the useful four-footed friends, the donkeys, as usual trotting, and the camels walking their slow and measured pace, about three miles an hour. Fowls may be seen running about, pigeons flying, whilst ducks and geese in their native element swim about.
If you look on the sand-banks the pelican stands with its large pouch, trying to fill it with fish, whilst the eagles and vultures are seeking their prey and numerous small birds are flying about. Though now only about six miles from the second cataract, which is similar to the first, we will not linger.
Near one of the villages in Nubia we saw an interesting sight: it was a primitive loom. Here is a picture of one for the mind. Think of a man with his two legs hidden in a hole in the ground, the treadles being only two sticks, with cords made of cotton. The weft, spoken of as "woof" (Lev. 13:49), was very crooked owing to his manner of weaving. On its being suggested to him to take hold of the latter in the middle, as it would keep the weft straighter, he seemed glad of the suggestion. Both men and women weave, but women are specially mentioned in Prov. 31:19, "She layeth, her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff.”
The climate of Nubia is wonderfully good for chest complaints, the air is so dry and pure. If any restless person needs to learn patience, let him try a journey on the Nile and have an Arab crew, their motto being; "If we don't do it to-day, we shall to-morrow." They do not consider our well-known proverb, "Procrastination is the thief of time.”
I must here mention the caves of Berri Hassan, supposed to have been built in the time of Joseph. On the walls you may see painted a number of men with beards, some say it is meant to represent Joseph's brethren. There is also a painting of a great storehouse, filled with grain, and a man measuring it into sacks for others to carry away. This, of course, reminds us of Joseph's history, for in Gen. 41:49 it says Joseph "gathered corn as the sand of the sea, very much, until he left numbering; for it was without number.”
Now let us look at another scene. Whilst Moses was away in the land of Midian, and dwelt with his father-in-law Jethro, the king of Egypt died, and the new Pharaoh seeing how the children of Israel increased and multiplied until the land was filled with them, decided to reduce their number if possible.
Taskmasters were put over them to afflict them with their burdens. The Book of Exodus tells us that the new king "knew not Joseph"; the children of Israel had to serve with hard bondage in making bricks. At first straw was given them, as this was necessary to make the bricks hard and firm.
The king made them build treasure cities called Pithom and Raamses, and they had to serve with rigor, so that their lives were bitter, in all manner of service; it was rigorous. But all this did not effect the king's desire, the people did not decrease.
It was a dreadful thought to try and get rid of them by hard work, or by war, or by fighting; but now a more dreadful one takes possession of Pharaoh's mind—the murder of infant boys; the river called, and truly so, the Gift of God, was to be used to receive the bodies of the little ones cast into it. Was it not a murderous thought? Indeed it was. One, however, the boy Moses, escaped. Maybe there were others, too; we know not, but we know of him.
Let us consider for a moment the brick-making. The cottages already referred to were Nile mud plastered by the hands and left to dry. Larger houses are built and whitewashed, but they are after all Nile mud. There are some stone buildings, but Job mentions these clay or mud houses as being easily dug through. (Job 24:16.)
Now the question may arise, How can straw be mixed with the bricks? The mud is put in a heap and a quantity of straw or coarse grass thrown down and then trampled into the mud by the laborers. The prophet Nahum speaks of treading the mortar and making strong the brick-kiln. The bricks are then dried in the sun for use.
A little higher up the Nile than Cairo there is a large pyramid built entirely of bricks; being well mixed with straw it remains as firm as ever it was. Some people think it was built by the Israelites. They were certainly made by captives, as in each brick there are two finger-holes, which was a sign of the slavery of those who made them.
A missionary tells us that at Heliopolis a well has been discovered, buried in the sand, which he had no doubt was built by the Israelites, as the marks on the bricks show. At Heliopolis there is a most wonderful monument, an obelisk of red granite. Heliopolis was called by the Egyptians the City of the Sun. In the Bible it has the name of On, and is familiar to us as the place from which Joseph's wife came. Her name is known to most, even young students, as Asenath, daughter of Potipherah, a priest of the temple of the sun. Think of this great obelisk witnessing the marriage of Joseph.
We afterward paid an interesting visit to an ostrich farm. In the center there is a round platform so that a view may be had of the whole farm. We saw immense numbers of beautiful feathers, and eggs of rare size and beauty. Job knew what they were like, for he describes them so wonderfully by the Spirit of God. God asked him if he had given the ostrich wings and feathers, because Job was proud and self-righteous, and did not know himself. Do we know ourselves? In the New Testament we are told not to think more highly of ourselves than we ought to think, and Job ends by saying, "I am vile.”
Now the ostrich lays beautiful, large, eggs, but she is not a careful mother, she leaves them in the earth and warms them in the dust. As to her young ones she is quite hardened, as though they did not belong to her. God has deprived her of wisdom and has given her no understanding. But we learn that they are swifter than horses, great use being made of their wings as they rush over the desert. When hunted they keep on turning about like a hare and at last bury their heads in the sand, forgetting that their large bodies are fully seen; thus they show their foolishness.
The hunters kill them very carefully with clubs, so as not to spoil their feathers. On the farm there were birds of all ages, from quite baby ones to those of perhaps eighteen years old. The older ones are very vicious. One day a male bird had nearly bitten off a man's arm in a moment of passion. The young ostriches are like barn-door fowls and of a reddish color.
Leaving Heliopolis on the way to Cairo we passed along the banks of the Nile through numbers of mulberry, sycamore and acacia trees for a mile or two. It is very beautiful and agreeable except for the dust. Now traveling on till we reached the port of Cairo, which is Boulac, we came to a most extraordinary sight exactly the opposite of the living trees we had so admired: in the desert were a number of trees of different kinds all petrified, turned into stone. The trees were of different shapes, sizes and heights and could easily be recognized. There were also hollow trunks and roots, some being entire. It was a great wonder and the question arose, How did these trees get changed like that when all around was desert? Some think they were left there by the flood and became petrified through the ages of time.
It is rather a melancholy picture once in full natural life and vigor, now hardened into stony flint. Does it not somewhat remind us of the heart of Pharaoh, whose heart became hardened? and of Nabal, whose heart became like a stone? Should we not as Christians seek grace to live in the vigor of life and to be preserved from hardness of heart in every way.
Now having reached Cairo, we obtained rooms and went for a ride, for no one walks in Cairo. Look out for drivers, barefooted, clad in loose cotton garments, each praising his own animal vigorously, making a scene similar to that encountered at seaside places, only more lively.
Chapter 7: A Journey in the Desert
IN Nubia we saw a sorrowful sight: three children about three years of age grinding dourer with small mill stones. Poor little things, how early to begin life's toil!
Now we have another project in view, even that of crossing the desert. There are two or three routes, but at last we decided, acting under the advice of the English missionary at Cairo, to go first to the Red Sea and then to Hebron. First we selected a dragoman, who served us as interpreter or cook. Next we applied to a Bedouin sheik for some camels and for a man to act as guide.
Then it is most imperative to have a contract signed, otherwise we should be subject to all kinds of unlawful demands. This document after being read over was first signed by us, and then the sheik, going to the table, took off his signet ring, gave it to the clerk, who dipped it in ink and sealed the contract with it. It is now time to begin our furnishing. What would you choose? We will say tents, curtains, water-casks, camp-stools, water-bottles and provisions, as everything must be taken that is necessary for sustenance.
At length the camels were brought, and we selected them after much trouble and wrangling.
Four clays after leaving Cairo we arrived at Suez, then sending on our camels we crossed in a boat and went to visit the Wells of Moses, which are on the edge of the wilderness. This was not a wise proceeding, for we had only two men and a youth, and they could not agree about the road.
An Arab came out from one of the mud cottages and gave us to understand there was an English consul there. This did not prove to be correct, but he himself was supposed to be one, and this brought him more respect. This gentleman was a friend indeed, and helped us greatly in every way.
We soon proceeded on our journey and entered the desert. We were surrounded by hills of moving sand, with no trace of footsteps and no pathway. Think of hills of sand as fine as could be and as hot as a coal. Moses uses this simile when he says, "The Lord shall make the rain of thy land powder and dust." (Deut. 28:24.) The worst part now was that the Arabs did not seem to know how to go on.
The youth before mentioned being the best of the three, the leadership was left to him, and one of the travelers found that he could help him by means of a map and compass. In about an hour's time, to the great joy of all, something was seen moving in the distance. It turned out to be another party of travelers, and in a short time we came up to them, and then proceeded on the right road from Suez to Mecca.
Soon after starting we met with one of the worst troubles of the desert, lack of water. For five days since leaving Cairo the camels had had no water, and when we came to the Wells of Mourka they could only have about a pint each, which made them roar greatly. The camels seemed to make up for the lack of anything to drink by eating a large quantity of tamarisks, and on account of their being so busy eating we could not proceed farther that day. However, the next morning we came upon a pit of very good water. The Arabs were able to fill their goatskins and take some for the camels. I once heard a gentleman who had been abroad, during an address to young people, say, speaking of the lack of water, "You'll think of the water you once threw away.”
The next day it was discovered that nearly half the water had run out of the cask, as our dragoman had lost the peg of it. Was not that trying?
The journey through the desert is generally a silent one, for travelers cannot converse, as the camels are trained to follow one another, instead, of walking side by side. Now just outside Nackell there was an appearance of "wind, so we could carry out the instructions of Isa. 54:2," Enlarge the place, of thy tent.... spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes." As you will doubtless know, we have been speaking of real wells and real water, as this book speaks of truth and not fiction, but you will be interested to know that there are what the prophet Jeremiah refers to as "waters that fail" or deceive. (Jer. 15:18.) This is known under the name of "the mirage.”
One day there was an appearance of a lake, which we knew could not be there, and yet it was so very like one that we scarcely knew what to believe. Not only was there the appearance of a lake, but of the sea, with its little isles, rocks, and even ships, the masts and rigging wonderfully perfect and the waves rolling. Probably the mirage is caused by reflection and rarefaction of the air, and the appearance of ships would be caused by real ships in the Mediterranean, for they skewed as if upside' down. But the mirage is not the only strange sight in connection with the desert, there is also a peculiar light, very dazzling and phosphorescent. It was seen at Suez whilst we were waiting for desert vans, driven on two wheels with four horses, to take us across to Cairo. It appeared like the light of another van coming towards us; afterward it receded gradually and finally disappeared—not like the beautiful pillar of fire which God sent before the Israelites, whether they journeyed in the night or not. This light, though seen by us, cannot be explained and was very wonderful. We were now out of the desert and on the borders of the promised land at Beersheba. This was where Abraham dwelt.
But we must now leave the travelers and return to Moses.
You will remember how Moses at last asserted his nationality and took up the cause of one of his brethren, and slew the Egyptian who was ill-treating him, and hid the body in the sand. This coming to the ears of Pharaoh, he wished to slay Moses. Thus Moses was obliged to flee, and more especially as his brethren did not understand his interference with them. Where should he go? He went to Midian, somewhere near Sinai, but the precise situation is unknown. But one thing we do know, and that is, that there was a well of water there.
Whilst sitting there resting, seven daughters of the priest of Midian came to draw water for their father's flocks. There were also shepherds who would have driven them away, but Moses helped them. Thus he was introduced to Reuel, the father, who, after some time, gave him his daughter, Zipporah, for a wife, and they had a son called Gershom, and Moses became a shepherd.
Now the Egyptian, as it appeared by his dress, becomes an Arabian. What a change for Moses; he who had been brought up in all the learning of the Egyptians now leads the life of a shepherd in a wilderness country.
It was there at the backside of it that he came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb. Here we read of the bush which was not consumed by the flame in and around it, making it holy, so that the shoe must be loosed. God called him by name, "Moses, Moses," and he said, "Here am I." God reminded Moses of his fathers, and of the affliction of his people in Egypt. Moses hid his face and was afraid. God gave Moses two signs, the rod which became a serpent—a reminder of Egypt and Pharaoh's power—and the leprosy which came into his hand and was healed again—a link with the people in Egypt, whom they called a nation of lepers. Moses then returned to Egypt.
The miraculous presence of the angel of the Lord in the bush took place at Horeb. It was promised to Moses that when he had brought the people out of Egypt they should serve God upon that mountain. God's promise was fulfilled, for there the people of God actually encamped. Elijah also found refuge there from the threats of Jezebel. As Moses seemed unwilling to speak to the children of Israel and said he could not speak well, God allowed his brother Aaron to go with him that he might speak for him.
But King Pharaoh refused to listen to what Moses and Aaron said to him; indeed, he added to the burden of the children of Israel by refusing them straw. He was most probably Rameses II., who was, some say, if not a matter of certain history, the greatest of the Pharaohs, and under his rule Egypt increased in greatness to the zenith of its glory, afterward declining. With him closed Egypt's great conquests, its buildings were fewer, and its architecture less beautiful. His oppression of the children of Israel was very cruel, but that also had an end. It is most interesting to find that although chronology as to Egypt on nearly all points differs hopelessly, so that one feels it safer generally to leave dates severely alone, yet from the Bible, the true record, we find that when Abraham at the age of seventy-five received the promise (Gen. 15:13) to the time when Joseph was sold into Egypt was exactly two hundred years; and fourteen years after that Jacob and his family settled there, and two hundred and fifteen years later the exodus of the children of Israel took place, proving that the deliverance came in the fourth generation.
Between the dreadful oppression of the children of Israel and the going out from Egypt, we have a true record of the most wonderful, and marvelous plagues designed by God to humiliate the king and the Egyptians, showing His powerful and fearful judgments; they are recorded from the seventh to the fourteenth chapters of Exodus, so that they need not come in detail here.
But in each case God would show in every fresh plague that their national gods were as nothing to Him. And first shall we notice the beautiful waters of the Nile becoming corrupt and loathsome.
The face of the sun, their god, was darkened for some days, and finally, and most severe of all, the death of the firstborn occurred in each Egyptian household and among all beasts. It is interesting to note that the plagues were aimed at the gods, and sheaved their powerlessness before the true God. For instance: (1) Osiris, the Nile god, (2) Haki, the god to drive away frogs, (3 and 4) the god of flies, (5) the sacred Ram and the sacred Ox at Memphis and at On, (6) human sacrifices to avert evil, (7) to the divinities of the air, (8) the insect gods, (9) the worship of the sun, (10) all their religion disgraced by a universal death.
The day that Moses and Aaron departed from the presence of Pharaoh, the Lord instructed the children of Israel to take a male lamb without blemish; it was to be kept until the fourteenth day of the month and killed in the evening; the lintels and doorposts were to be sprinkled with a bunch of hyssop dipped in the, blood, and the lamb was to be eaten at night and none left till the morning. It was to be eaten in haste, their loins girded and shoes on their feet ready for a journey. It was a sign, and God said that when He saw the blood He would pass over the door and not allow the destroyer to come in unto their houses to smite them.
Chapter 8: The Deliverance of Israel
IN Ex. 12 more details will be found of this wonderful feast called the Passover. The lamb was to be "roast with fire," a picture of Christ, the Lamb of God, who was sacrificed for us, for our sins. When God saw the blood of the lamb He passed over the house where it was. In the New Testament we read, "The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.”
After this fearful judgment of the death of the firstborn, the Egyptians were urgent to send away the Israelites, and readily gave them what they required. The history of this wonderful people was marked by miracles. First, the waters of the Red Sea were divided into parts. (Psa. 136:13.) When hunger threatened them they had manna from heaven; it is spoken of as "bread from heaven" and "angels' food." The bitter water was sweetened; it still bears the name of the "Bitter Well.”
Did you ever think of the numbers of the children of Israel who went out of Egypt? This was the most wonderful emigration there ever was; there may have been two or more millions of people, more, perhaps, than one-fourth of all the people contained in London and its neighborhood, five in a rank. No mere man, however great his resources, could have arranged their march, but the Lord went before them in a pillar of cloud.
When they wanted water God provided it. How wonderful it all was! Horeb, where Moses stood, was situated at the head of a valley, so that a stream of water would come flowing down, down to the very feet of the faint and weary ones.
But let us stop and first consider Pharaoh's state of mind and his sad end. Did he repent? No! he had time even then, for God always gives time for repentance. But he said, "Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us?”
So he took six hundred chariots, with captains over each, and pursued after the children of Israel. What a grand sight in the eyes of men it must have been, six hundred chariots and horses, with their captains standing inside the chariots, the other horsemen, and his great army! And he overtook them as they were encamping at Baalzephon. You might have said, What a pity! and it might have seemed so, for the children of Israel thought they were going to die and murmured; but God knows how to deliver His people, and all Pharaoh's great host was drowned in the Red Sea, "there remained not so much as one of them." (Ex. 14:28.)
To continue again as to the giving of the law at Sinai, a place that many speak of as of terrible and awful grandeur: one describes it as absolutely desolate and bare, a truly solemn and wild picture, and suited to the judgments of God given there to His people. It was truly wonderful, and so terrible that even Moses said, "I exceedingly fear and quake." Moses had seen a burning bush at Horeb, but this was a burning, fiery mountain, black and dark and tempestuous, with a sound of trumpets and voices of words, so that the people entreated that they might not hear it any more.
This is a digression, as we have left the Nile behind. Nevertheless, something must be said of Jeremiah and his connection with the river many centuries after, and we must not omit to refer to Solomon and his history, which comes earlier.
First of all we find that the great king Solomon reigned over all kingdoms from the river unto the land of the Philistines, and unto the border of Egypt, and they brought presents and served him all the days of his life.
Now this land of Egypt was a great temptation to King Solomon, but God had given directions for a king in connection with it, and he was distinctly forbidden to multiply horses and not to cause the people to return to Egypt. (Deut. 17:16.) But we are sorry to find, that Solomon, although he loved the Lord and walked in God's statutes for a time, made affinity with Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and that he married his daughter, bringing her into the city of David until he had finished building his own house, and the house of the Lord, and the wall of Jerusalem.
And what do we find? What influence had all his numerous wives? We find that his wives turned away his heart after other gods, and that his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God as his father David's was. How much we are all influenced by those with whom we live!
In 2 Chron. 7:8 the river of Egypt is mentioned in connection with Solomon's great feast, the great congregation extending from the entering of Ha-math unto the river of Egypt. A good map might help you to locate the boundaries. Another reference is made to the river: Solomon reigned over all the kings from the river even unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt.
Let us now go on to our final picture, which relates to the history of Jeremiah. In Jer. 42 we find a number of people met together; the name of the head man was Johanan, and under him some captains of the forces and a remnant of the people who had got away from the wicked man, Ishmael, who had killed the ruler, Gedaliah, whom the king of Babylon had made governor over Jerusalem.
All these people were afraid, so they went and dwelt in the habitation of Chimham, near Bethlehem, that they might go and enter into Egypt; they were afraid of the Chaldeans.
Now this band of people looked up to Jeremiah with respect, and they came to ask his advice as to what they should do. Should they stay in their own land, or should they go into Egypt? And they said, "Pray for us unto the Lord." Jeremiah did so, and after ten days he told them the answer.
But when they heard the message they would not receive it, for the answer was that they were to stay in their own land and not to be afraid of anything or any one. The Lord said, "Go ye not into Egypt." But when Jeremiah had finished speaking they accused him of speaking falsely, and said that God had not sent him. “So they came into the land of Egypt for they obeyed not the voice of the Lord: thus came they even to Tahpanhes." And Jeremiah was obliged to go with them; he could not help himself.
They had to go through the wilderness, and Jeremiah tells us it was full of deserts and pits, also a land where the water was scarce and where the shadow of death was. But at last they arrived in Egypt and saw the great river Nile and came to Tahpanhes, which was sometimes called Daphne. It was situated on the river and fortified with towers. They fancied that here in this city they would be safe. They left God out, He was not in their thoughts.
But Jeremiah had a word from the Lord in Tahpanhes; His eye saw and He was fully aware of all their doings.
Jeremiah was told to take great stones in his hand and to hide them in the clay in the brick kiln, which was at the entry of Pharaoh's house in Tahpanhes, in the sight of the men of Judah. The Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, said that He would send Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, His servant, and that He would set his throne upon these stones that Jeremiah had hidden, and that he should spread his royal pavilion over them. The people in the land of Egypt would suffer death or captivity or die by the sword. Also the gods of Egypt should be destroyed.
What was the result of this great object-lesson which Jeremiah had been directed to give them? They would not hearken, they did not humble themselves, and it all culminates in the most fearful self-will and disregard of the Lord. "We will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth, to burn incense unto the queen of heaven.”
And this is the end of dwelling in the land of Egypt—rank idolatry, rebellion against God, worship of idols and God's judgment. The king of Egypt, Pharaohhophra, was given into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, his enemy. Is it not a sad history? They saw the Nile and the wonderful city of Tahpanhes and dwelt under the protection of the king of Egypt.
But what did they gain? Destruction and misery. Did the Nile compensate with its beautiful waters and lovely scenery? How did poor Jeremiah feel? He must have been sad, he had seen so much sorrow. So now we may say that the Nile was a beautiful gift from God, and many of God's wonderful servants stood on its banks at different times, and we may get much instruction from it, but we must not forget what the end of it will be, "And the waters shall fail from the sea, and the river shall be wasted and dried up." (Isa. 19:5.)
Chapter 9: Cairo
WE must have a glance at Cairo, the ancient capital of Egypt, before we conclude.
In, reality there are now two parts to it, one occupied by Europeans and resembling a fashionable continental resort, the other a native part, where everything remains much as it used to be, only one misses the picturesque dress of the olden days.
The confusion of tongues which began at Babel is here much in evidence, and on, certain occasions gentlemen knowing several languages may be quite unable, to make themselves understood. Cairo still retains the character of being dusty, and watering the streets is very necessary. The men who undertake this work carry goatskins on their backs filled with water. In their left hands they hold the neck of the skin and are thus able to squirt out the water in any direction, and it is possible for an unwary passenger to come in for a little shower. Sometimes a camel or even a donkey may serve as a water carrier.
In 1856 a well-known traveler called our attention to the houses, with their latticed windows and ornamental doors. Few windows have glass, but have lattices instead, similar to diamond-shaped laths of a dairy window. All the windows are high up, so that they may not be overlooked. There are also balconies projecting from the upper stories, and in the center of the balcony a small door to which references are made in scripture. They are used to see what is passing, or to converse with any one below. There is, however, a larger door for going in or out, and at the entrance stands the porter. The bedchamber must not be omitted from this little description of the house, on account of its peculiarity. There are no iron bedsteads, as the usual custom is simply to have mattresses, which are rolled up in the mornings and kept for night. We must also notice the reception room, which is on the ground floor, paved with tiles. Opposite the door, and raised a few inches, is a part for the divans with a Turkey carpet in the center.
The roofs of the houses are almost always flat and protected by battlements, as God afterward directed the Israelites to build. (Deut. 22:8.) "Thou shalt make a battlement for thy roof, that thou bring not blood upon thine house, if any man fall from thence." Outside the houses in the streets may be heard dismal cries as there were formerly. And at night people are obliged to carry a light of some kind.
In Cairo are to be found plenty of Turkish baths, which are indeed quite necessary, as Cairo is certainly a dusty place. One cannot take up all the details of this remarkable city; there is much that might be added about the various insects, so irritating and distressing to one's comfort, and the dreadful use of the whip, and of mutilations as punishments for the slightest offenses, which are really alarming and too dreadful for description.
If we could walk outside Cairo and recline on the banks of the Nile, taking our Bibles with us, how we should think of the ancient prophecy of Ezekiel and see its fulfillment, for now it is indeed a base kingdom, though not independent; and without a prince. (Ezek. 29, 30) Many changes have taken place, and, in these days travelers are conveyed by the railway, which enables a journey, across the waste of sand to be performed in a few hours.
Chapter 10: A Fishing Scene
ABOUT two miles from Damietta there is a fishing station on the lake. Fishing is a most important industry, and a great number of people are employed there by Government, it being one of the principal and resident stations of the Controller of Fisheries.
There are hundreds of fishing boats, which come in daily with their "hauls," the best of the fish being sent to Cairo and other large markets, while the smaller fish are salted and partly "cured" in the sun, and packed in rancid oil. The whale-back boats of this district look very graceful as they shoot their nets, while others return to land from time to time with the fish that have been caught. The fish are kept in tanks on shore until they can be sent away to the different markets.
Sometimes the resident controller gives a big order, and then every boat that can be had turns out, and they are often away all night till far into the morning, and look like an immense semicircle out at sea. As the boats return slowly, the crews beating the water and chanting songs, gradually the circle narrows, until it is plainly seen that the water within the cordon is literally alive with fish.
Then follows a lively scene, and one to be remembered. The men jump from the boats into the water, dragging nets, which are soon overlapping each other, until the entire circle is enclosed. Each moment the space gets narrower and the men's cries louder, whilst swarms of birds, such as the pelican, flamingo, crane, and sea-birds add their screams to the cries of the fishermen. The water seems now teeming with fish, which, as escape seems impossible, leap high into the air, and many are caught by voracious sea-birds from above.
As the "catch" is being ladled into the boat, the splashing, leaping mass of fish, amongst which the hundreds of men are excitedly shouting, make great confusion and wild excitement beyond description, not soon to be forgotten. The take of fish at these times is enormous, and such an order as this is now seldom allowed.
On another lake in a very quiet spot the waters are still and calm, and water-fowl abound because they must not be shot. Firearms are not allowed on the lake nor in the marshes around, but in spite of this a native now and then dives for and catches a wild duck by the feet and takes it home.
There are pelicans and waders of all kinds the pelicans are friendly, and many boats have a tame one on board. These birds have beautiful plumage.
Starting from the fishing station above-named we had a spell of canal life, and here in abundance we found kingfishers so tame that when we got quite near to them they did not fly away. These birds seem happy and contented; they have plenty of fish, and no one disturbs them.
Chapter 11: The Lesson
NOW what do we learn from Egypt? We learn in the Book of Revelation that it is the place "where also our Lord was crucified." Can we desire to belong to it? It is a picture, of this world, and the Apostle John exhorts us, "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him." Now what is there in the world? We are told of three things: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.
There are indeed few, or perhaps none, too young to understand the lust of the flesh; we may perhaps call it self-indulgence, the desire for what we have not got, something good to eat, it may be. The mixed multitude who came out of Egypt fell a lusting and also wept again and said, "Who shall give us flesh to eat?" They remembered the fish which they did eat in Egypt, the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic, and they despised the "manna," God's food, which was a type of the Lord Jesus, who sustains us through the wilderness.
Ah! God gave them their desire, until it became loathsome to them. Have you never felt such a thing as this, desiring something very much at first, and in the end it becomes horrible to you? The lust of the flesh, I think, is a desire to enjoy oneself, to minister to self, to the flesh. Is it not so? The good things of this life, so called, but what a misnomer!
Now what is the lust of the eyes? Let us take an illustration. Supposing as you go down the street you see some things you would, like, they may be pretty dresses or ornaments, or even useful things, and this leads you on to covetousness, which is idolatry, of which the world is full. You may see beautiful pictures, too, and have a desire to possess some, and there are people who will spend enormous sums of money to get some masterpiece of man. Then what about picture amusements? Are they good? Do they not often cause evil thoughts and suggest to the mind, that which is the reverse of good? Yes, indeed they do.
And what is the pride of life? Even little children know something of the pride of life. Does not boasting belong to this order? One child may have richer parents than another, and be proud of it; another may boast in a title, or in some worldly position, or in dress or ornaments. Seeing then that all that is in the world 'is not of the Father, but is of the world, shall we, not pay attention to 'the words of the Lord, "Go ye not into Egypt." (Jer. 42:19.)
Chapter 12: On Idols
NOW it seems to me that this little descriptive narrative story would be rather incomplete without some little account of the huge idol system which has such a place in Egypt.
What is an idol? An idol is anything that is worshipped and put in the place of God, and that glory given to it which is due to Him only.
In the Bible we find mention of idols and of gods; it was part of Satan's temptation to Eve. He said, "Ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil." What do you think the Egyptians worshipped? The sun; and their king Pharaoh’s name was taken partly from Phra, the sun; they also worshipped the Nile, as we have already noticed, and many living creatures, among them the bull, called sacred, the crocodile, cats, and many birds; also the beetle, and even plants. The Bible tells us that they, "changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things." (Rom. 1:23.)
Amongst the animals just mentioned, the bull, called Apis, was the most thought of, and when he died his body was embalmed and placed in a huge sarcophagus made of beautifully polished marble. Is it not dreadful to think of people bowing down to worship these creatures when they were living and thinking so much of them afterward?
When the bull died a great search began to find another, for it must be a jet black color without a single white spot, except one on the forehead and sometimes another one or two, not, more. He must also have double hairs in his tail. Then his tongue ought to have a mark similar to a beetle. In order to know whether a good omen could be obtained, the bull was offered a peculiar cake; if he accepted it from the palm of the offerer and ate it, this was favorable and success should attend any undertaking.
You will remember the golden calf. What put the thought into the minds of the Israelites? It might have been that they were familiar with the worship of the bull in Egypt. The New Testament tells us that the children of Israel said to Aaron, "Make us gods to go before us.... And they made a calf in those days, and offered sacrifice unto the idol and rejoiced in the works of their own hands." (Acts 7:40-41.)
In the first Book of Kings we read of a wicked king called Jeroboam, who made two calves and put one in Bethel and one in Dan, and he told the people that these were the gods which had brought them up out of Egypt. And the people went to Dan to worship, and it became a sin.
But how God laments over His people. After the judgments pronounced in Hos. 13:5, their heart was exalted (Hos. 13:6), and in Hos. 13:9 He says, "O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself; but in me is thine help." Psa. 16:4 tells us, "Their sorrows shall be multiplied that hasten after another god"; we cannot escape the consequences if we do.
Think of the beautiful river Nile in God's judgment of Egypt. First the idols were to be removed; the waters would fail from the sea, the brooks were to be emptied and dried up, the reeds and flags were to wither. Everything that was sown was to wither and be no more. The fishers, as previously mentioned in the picture given of the lake near Cairo, were to mourn, and the anglers in the brooks to lament, and those who spread nets were to languish, the sluices and ponds for fish were to be empty. The workers in fine flax and the weavers in networks were to be confounded.
Where, then, are Pharaoh's counselors? The magicians, where are they? The princes of Zoan are become brutish, they are became fools, the princes of Noph are deceived. What a picture! Everything overturned of course this is not the present state of Egypt, thought its prosperity has declined. But after all this Egypt will revive again, and Isaiah tells us that "the Lord of, hosts shall bless, saying, Blessed be Egypt my people."(Isa. 19:25.)
But the word, new in its spiritual meaning is, "Go not down into Egypt,” that means," Love not the world," and "Little children, keep, yourselves from idols.”
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